Venezuela: Government, Opposition Supporters Take to the Streets in Post-Electoral Scene

Caracas, August 4, 2024 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuelans held demonstrations both in support and against the Nicolás Maduro government this Saturday.

The country remains in a tense aftermath following the July 28 presidential elections. On Sunday night, the National Electoral Council (CNE) declared Maduro as the winner. In a second bulletin published on Friday, the CNE had the president with 51.95 percent of the vote, compared to 43.18 percent for US-backed opposition candidate Edmundo González.

However, the CNE has yet to publish the detailed results by voting center, prompting transparency demands from both national and international actors.

For its part, the hardline opposition proclaimed González as president-elect, spurring protests and in some cases violent clashes with police. It published a set of purported polling station records to back the victory claim on Wednesday.

Chavismo staged marches in state capitals and major towns, including a massive one in Caracas on Saturday, with mostly red-clad crowds marching from the city center to Miraflores Presidential Palace in the afternoon. Pro-government movements and political forces have mobilized daily to oppose violence and defend peace.

Maduro addressed the crowds, arguing that his administration is “the only guarantee of peace” in the South American nation.

“The oligarchy wanted to sow violence in the country, but we managed to defeat the fascist outbreak,” he said. “We must have justice.”

For its part, the hardline opposition held its own rallies on Saturday, with far-right leader María Corina Machado addressing a modest crowd in the upper-class neighborhood of Las Mercedes in eastern Caracas.

“We are as strong as we have ever been,” Machado told followers. She called for continued mobilizations from the opposition to “collect” on its claimed electoral win. González was absent from the demonstration and later sent a message via social media. Anti-government crowds likewise held gatherings abroad.

The Venezuelan Supreme Court has intervened in the electoral process following a request from Maduro on Thursday that the body investigate and validate the electoral results. The country’s highest judicial authority has given the CNE until Monday to submit voting and totalization records from the July 28 contest.

The United States and regional allies have recognized González as president-elect, while Russia, China and a number of Latin American nations have congratulated Maduro on securing a third term.